Former Carbon County sheriff's sergeant accused of stealing drugs from evidence locker

By Geoff Liesik , Deseret News

Published: Monday, March 18 2013 6:02 p.m. MDT

Former Carbon County Sheriff's Sgt. Christopher Howard Basso is charged in 7th District Court with possession of a controlled substance, burglary and tampering with evidence. Basso, 37, is accused of burglarizing the evidence locker at the sheriff's office to steal drugs. (Carbon County Sheriff's Office)

PRICE — A former Carbon County sheriff's sergeant is facing felony charges after prosecutors say he stole drugs from the evidence locker at the sheriff's office.

Christopher Howard Basso, a 13-year veteran of the sheriff's office, was charged Monday in 7th District Court with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony, one count of burglary, a third-degree felony, and one count of tampering with evidence, a class A misdemeanor.

Basso, 37, was placed on paid administrative leave for a personnel issue in January, according to Carbon County Attorney Gene Strate.

While on leave, Basso entered the sheriff's office on several occasions "at odd hours of the evening" without authorization and accessed the evidence locker, the prosecutor said.

"We're alleging that he took some methamphetamine and a Schedule I or Schedule II drug. I think it was hydrocodone," Strate said.

The prescription medication was evidence in an active case, he said. Prosecutors are weighing whether that case will now have to be dismissed.

"We may have to do that," Strate said. "We're still looking into whether that case has been so compromised that we have to (dismiss it)."

Basso was fired from the sheriff's office Feb. 5. His first court appearance is set for April 15.